The Fox Is Black

Surrealist Illustrations by Mathis Rekowski

Mathis Rekowski

Mathis Rekowski is a Berlin based illustrator who’s work could be compared to a modern day Salvador Dali, albeit one that chooses Illustrator over oil paints. Mathis’ work is scattered and fragmented, many pieces coming together to make a cohesive whole. Cohesion in his pieces is varied. There are ones like the Jay-Z piece at top, while still a melange of pieces, definitely looks like the iconic rapper. In the bottom two I’m obsessed with the colors and how they look vaguely like faces… or is that just me? Be sure to visit his site to see his work in a much larger size!

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Bobby Solomon

November 12, 2012 - See more posts by Bobby

Jon Contino Interview on The Great Discontent

Jon Contino on The Great Discontent

Over on The Great Discontent they have a really great interview with Jon Contino, the Brooklyn based artist and designer. I’ve worked with Jon on a bunch of projects for the site and it feels like I know him, but it’s great to be able to read about his life, how he got to where he is and his passions. This is my favorite question from the interview.

Are you satisfied creatively?
No. Definitely not. There’s no way it’ll ever happen. I get to do stuff that I enjoy, but there are so many things I could be doing that I either don’t have the time for or don’t yet have the skills for. I am satisfied to the extent that I’m in a position where I get to decide what I want to do. Years ago, I didn’t have that luxury. In that sense, I’m happy, but there are still people who don’t know my name, companies I haven’t worked for, and things I haven’t done yet. I think that if you’re an artist and you’re satisfied, then you’re a failure—honestly. There’s more out there than you could ever imagine. If you’re satisfied, you’re done being an artist.

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Bobby Solomon

November 12, 2012 - See more posts by Bobby

‘Carry Me Back’ by Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show

Morphing into folk, bluegrass, country, western, or even the blues, “Americana” takes much from it’s environment and the instruments that populate it. In that regard, the native Appalachians of Old Crow Medicine Show, one of the best live acts in the country, are as much punk as they are country and old-time music. The band are real DIY-ers: they got their start busking in Nashville over a decade ago, like the medicine shows at the turn of the 20th century. This is a 21st century take on that classic music. If anything, Old Crow Medicine Show charge their music with veiled political references, foot-stomping rhythms, and corn liquor. In other words, all the good stuff.

As a tribute to one of the hotly contested states in this years election, Carry Me Back seems like a classic from the old-time string bands, extolling the excellence of Virginia. Based off the old Virginia state song, Carry Me Back to Old Virginny, it tells the story of a young man filled with pride to fight in the Civil War and the accompanying false nationalism. But by the end it is a staunch anti-war song – dead horses, starvation in prison camps, and bayonets can’t shake the love of country and home. Carry Me Back isn’t just a faced paced hoe-down but exalts the love of country and home – that America is for you and me.

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Alec Rojas

November 12, 2012 - See more posts by Alec

Sweet Animation in ‘For Hire’ – A Look at Rickshaws in Bangalore

“The blood in the veins of Bangalore” is how the Berlin-based animator Xaver Xylophon likes to describe the city’s rickshaws. 450,000 of them make their way through the streets of Bangalore everyday and their drivers bravely do battle with the traffic just to take their passengers from A-B.

In 2011 Xylophon spent a month living in the city and the he produced a number of drawings while there. That work would go on to become the groundwork for this great short animation called For Hire!. The film shows a day in the life of a Bangalorean rickshaw driver and it’s an insight into both the daily life of the driver and also the life of the city. There’s a real simplicity in Xylophon’s animation and although it seems to be created digitally I love the painterly quality to his work. His story is a simple one, but it’s told so effectively and with such great restraint. I love it and I really recommended you check it out!

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Philip Kennedy

November 12, 2012 - See more posts by Philip

Top Five From LAIY: Week of 11.5

Bustling Opportunities: An Interview With Lorenzo Fonda
Lorenzo Fonda is a fantastic filmmaker and artist that we’re a little obsessed with. We first caught on to him by way of his drawings and quickly discovered that he is a very accomplished filmmaker who has made tons of commercials and music videos from clients ranging from National Geographic to Scissor Sisters. He is a rare Angeleno who doesn’t have a car so we decided to catch a late night bus trip with him across town and discuss art making. It was an experience.

SoLA’s Los Angeles Glasses
Apparently Barbara Bestor, Karen Alweil, and Sara Stein have taken their talents and love for Los Angeles and are making homewares. They are the Sisters of Los Angeles (“SoLA”) and they have some cool creations, namely their designy and neighborhoody highball glasses. We’re totally in love with them and we’re sure all LA lovers will fall for them, too.

All The Shows At The Hammer and UCLA’s MFA Show and The UCLA Sculpture Garden
We discovered a few things this weekend in West LA. First, every show happening at the Hammer–from war art to graphic design to paper art–is remarkable: you have to go ASAP. Second, the UCLA MFA class of 2013 has their exhibition up and it is brilliant. Third, if you go to both of these, you will have to stop into the hidden sculpture garden that lives in the Northeastern corner of UCLA’s campus.

Matsuda’s Fall/Winter Campaign
Matsuda are a heritage Japanese eyewear brand who are being relaunched in Southern California. They recently released a Fall/Winter commercial that is just to die for. You get to see their crazy, sexy, great glasses popping in and out of pools of black liquid into the air. It’s a great effect and is quite a stunning display.

Video Games As Education?
Get this: there is an organization called LA Game Space that is a nonprofit hoping to educate and study through video games. How rad is this?? They are currently trying to raise money to build out their Arts District facility and we are positively obsessed with the project. It’s so brilliant!

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KYLE FITZPATRICK

November 9, 2012 - See more posts by KYLE